Digital level gauge

[contax4ever]

What is the mechanism by which this indicator knows when camera is level? Can I count on its accuracy?

 

[areichow]

It has a tilt sensor. They're tiny chips which detect orientation relative to the pull of gravity with a small amount of gas, IIRC.

 

[Cailean Gallimore]

It's more than accurate enough to be relied upon.

 

[Wally626]

contax4ever wrote:

What is the mechanism by which this indicator knows when camera is level? Can I count on its accuracy?

Accurate for a photo sure, for use as a surveying tools no. I expect there is some error in these micro devices but I do not know how much.

 

[contax4ever]

Pretty cool. I have a tripod collar with an arca swiss base that works with my lens adapter. I was thinking about getting a spirit/bubble level (whatever they're called) so that I can more easily get things leveled up when I rotate from horiz to vert and back. Then I remembered the digital level gauge that's available in the display. I suppose no need for the old school floating bubble given this feature!

 

[Mike Fewster]

Simple, accurate. Or am I missing something?

 

[uhligfd]

in practice it is off often by a bit left or right, maybe 2+ degrees or such (unpredictable) , so pp and leveling horizons in LR for example is still necessary for those who want perfect shots.

 

[Mike Fewster]

uhligfd wrote:

in practice it is off often by a bit left or right, maybe 2+ degrees or such (unpredictable) , so pp and leveling horizons in LR for example is still necessary for those who want perfect shots.

I am not following you. Do you mean that the grid view or the electronic spirit level can be off? or do you mean that the camera operator might not quite line their horizontal/vertical axis up precisely?

I don't know how accurate the electronic gaddie is, but the grid view is very precise. And of course it has other compositional uses as you use it. I agree that any shot might need a fraction of correction but in my experience, using a grid view, this is rare and almost never more than 1 degree. there is usually a touch of cropping of the original image anyway once you see it on a monitor. Again, I just don't see why al electronic level is preferable to using the grid view when setting the camera up for a shot.

Possibly, just possibly, for video? Possibly, just possibly for some shot sequences with irregular horizon (say mountains?) when you intend stitching the shots into a pano PP

 

[Lightshow]

Nothing this cheap will be 100% accurate, so expect a degree or two of error.

That said, in use, it is more than accurate enough to shoot pictures with.

 

[Mike Fewster]

Lightshow wrote:

Nothing this cheap will be 100% accurate, so expect a degree or two of error.

That said, in use, it is more than accurate enough to shoot pictures with.

Why isn't it 100% accurate? It is after all just a grid of lines imposed on the viewfinder. It ought to be 100 % accurate. Any accuracy or inaccuracy comes from the users ability to line up their image with the lines on the grid. And this really is a piece of cake.

I have yet to see a viewfinder grid that isn't accurate, although I guess they might exist. If you were unlucky enough to get such a thing, the error would at least be consistent and you would rapidly learn to allow for it.

 

[Lightshow]

Mike Fewster wrote:

Lightshow wrote:

Nothing this cheap will be 100% accurate, so expect a degree or two of error.

That said, in use, it is more than accurate enough to shoot pictures with.

Why isn't it 100% accurate? It is after all just a grid of lines imposed on the viewfinder. It ought to be 100 % accurate. Any accuracy or inaccuracy comes from the users ability to line up their image with the lines on the grid. And this really is a piece of cake.

I have yet to see a viewfinder grid that isn't accurate, although I guess they might exist. If you were unlucky enough to get such a thing, the error would at least be consistent and you would rapidly learn to allow for it.

--
Mike Fewster
Adelaide Australia

Sorry, I don't typically read the post titles, my reply was about the digital level.

The grid lines should be as accurate as is possible, they are just columns and rows of pixels, unless their programmers are complete hacks... (Just ignore the menu. ) ... And what you see on the viewfinder/EVF is at a different orientation then the sensor/final image.

 

[uhligfd]

Well, practice versus reality here: I took a lot of ocean views recently, hundreds, to be honest. i used the green level tool (Nex 7) on all of them and whatever fault I fell into, the horizon needed to be leveled in pp much of the time. Maybe it is my eye to composition fault, maybe it is the level itself not 100 % accurate. I do not know.

But in practice, if you want straight horizons (as i feel it is a must on the sea), you need to rebalance or can anyone suggest a brain replacement/improvement that might work for me?

I did hand-held, on a tripod - maybe - the built in level might prove 100 % accurate, who knows ...

 

[mike winslow]

contax4ever wrote:

Pretty cool. I have a tripod collar with an arca swiss base that works with my lens adapter. I was thinking about getting a spirit/bubble level (whatever they're called) so that I can more easily get things leveled up when I rotate from horiz to vert and back. Then I remembered the digital level gauge that's available in the display. I suppose no need for the old school floating bubble given this feature!

There's an app for that..

 

[RedFox88]

uhligfd wrote:

in practice it is off often by a bit left or right, maybe 2+ degrees or such (unpredictable) ,

2 degrees? No, unless you are talking about a focusing screen instead of LCD grid. A grid shown over liveview is as accurate as the image it is showing you which is 100%.

so pp and leveling horizons in LR for example is still necessary for those who want perfect shots.

And using the grid to level up, well you'd need to find a horizontal or vertical line to refer to. Water lines are not always horizontal due to the perspective of the water line of say a small lake or pond compared to ocean or large lake with a water horizon. Vertical lines? Buildings and flag poles are good, but trees are a poor reference line.

 

[secondclaw]

contax4ever wrote:

What is the mechanism by which this indicator knows when camera is level? Can I count on its accuracy?

It will give you a ballpark, but its not 100% accurate (neither is a bubble level). If you see the 'level' light up green, tilt the camera a bit in either direction and you will see that it will still be green. There are a few degrees of error being displayed due to it being fairly low resolution sensor. It will however get you close, and you can correct the rest in software. In fact, I rely on it all the time. However, when creating a stitched panorama and rotating the tripod head around, the imperfections get magnified, but in any case I'd not worry about it - you can count on it getting you to the ballpark.

I believe NEX documentation even states that there is a +/- 1 degree of error (though I think its slightly more).

 

[Abaregi]

If you don't like the level gauge try turning on the grid, that is as accurate as it gets.

 

[Jefenator]

IME the digital gauge is better than nothing when shooting landscapes handheld. It can be a bit vague, though.

To cut down on straightening in post when shooting with a tripod, I find I much prefer using a small carpenter's torpedo level. Or this:


Hot shoe bubble level - super handy!!

I've scarcely ever had to straighten anything since I started using real bubble levels. (Got enough to do in Lightroom as it is...)

 

[contax4ever]

Any issue with sticking a hotshoe level in the new multi interface shoe (on NEX 6) with its fragile wire contacts at the front edge?

 

[Jefenator]

contax4ever wrote:

Any issue with sticking a hotshoe level in the new multi interface shoe (on NEX 6) with its fragile wire contacts at the front edge?

Hard for me to say - I got the Sony/Minolta hotshoe model for my NEX-7. (It was a tight fit - the plastic cracked, the very first time I put it on but now it seems OK.)

Nothing hits the front on the inside with this model, but it looks like the NEX-6 hotshoe is different. (If you were really concerned, you could possibly file the leading edge down to prevent it from squishing against the contacts?)

 

[Lightshow]

The contacts should be safe as they are set in deeper than flash shoes are made including spirit levels, but it is prudent to double check clearance/fit the first time you install anything new.

I'm still not sure it their design is a good one, I'd have to try it out to know for sure, I guess I'll get my chance with the NEX FF.